Ten Percent
by PsychicOtaku182
Summary: ADOPTED FROM JADEDOFMARA! AU. Luke and Leia find something interesting in an old stasis unit from Polis Massa. Rated for saftey, timeline details inside.
1. The beginning all ways hurts

In this AU, Episode IV is followed immediately by Episode V, which is followed immediately by the rescue scene from Episode VI. As soon as the Rebellion leaves Yavin, they go to Hoth. Lando and Chewie find Han after about a week of searching. Luke goes back to Dagobah, and Yoda tells him about Leia. Luke stays with Yoda for eight months, whereupon Yoda Knights him, and Luke goes to the new Rebellion Command Base on Kamino. The story starts just as Luke gets back.

_Hello! This is PsychicOtaku182! I'm soooo excited! This is the first fic that I've ever adopted (thank the Force the original author, JadedofMara, is helping me out!). The next twenty-some chapters should be about the same as what Jaded wrote (mainly because I can't really improve on them much) after that, I'll pick-up the story. If it seems as if I'm no longer on the same page Jaded was, please message me and let me know, Okay?_

_Here we go._

**Star Wars: Ten Percent**

Originally by: Jaded of Mara

Adopted by: PsychicOtaku182

Prologue

The hand that had been tightly grasping Obi-wan's suddenly went limp and slipped back down to the bed on which Padmé Skywalker laid. The senator's faint Force signature dropped down to nearly nonexistent.

"Get this woman in stasis, and fast!" Obi-wan shouted to the medical droids that still clustered around the foot of the bed. "The children need their mother."

The plan had been to release the senator from suspended motion after a few days in hopes that the reawakening procedure would revitalize her spirit and bring back her will to live. But news reached Polis Massa that agents of the Empire were on their way to instate an Imperial Governor, and the fugitives had to flee. They took a stasis unit with them, and found out only after letting Yoda off at Dagobah that they had taken the wrong one.

Time passed. The Polis Massans gradually grew weary of Imperial rule and formed a resistance. Shipments of extra medical supplies were sent off to the Rebellion, along with a few expert doctors.

Among these was Cyrene Miir, the only human ever to have graduated form the Polis Massa Academy of Healing. She alone knew who was held in hibernation in one of the old, used stasis units.

She alone knew that Padmé Amidala's grave was empty.


	2. Chapter 1

Okay, I am sooooo sorry it took so long to update, I'm way behind on school and it's driving me up the wall. Please review. Love you all, Psychic!

* * *

One

Twenty years later…

Luke Skywalker was having a very good day.

For starters, it was his birthday. So much had happened since his last one that he was surprised he had even lived to see his twentieth year at all. Since his last birthday, he had learned that his father had been a Jedi Knight by the name of Anakin Skywalker, had begun Jedi training with a famous hero of the Clone Wars, rescued the Princess of Alderaan, destroyed the Death Star and been promoted to Commander in the Rebel Alliance, all in one day. Two weeks later he had resumed his Jedi training with an even stronger Jedi Master, had his hand chopped off by the lightsaber of one of the most powerful men in the galaxy, learned that the same man was actually his father, and lost his best friend, Han, to the legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett. A month after that, he had rescued Han, killing the vile gangster, Jabba the Hutt, in the process, and returned to his master, Yoda. And that was just the first two months of being nineteen.

Luke had spent the last eight months on swampy Dagobah, learning control over the finer aspects of the Force. Yoda had pronounced him a Jedi Knight mere hours ago and sent him back to the Rebellion with a very important secret.

The Princess of Alderaan, Leia Organa, was in fact the daughter of the Sith Lord, Darth Vader.

And as such, the younger twin sister of Luke Skywalker.

Luke had no problems whatsoever in believing his master's words. Ever since he had first walked into Leia's—_Your sister's, _said a little voice in his head—cell on the Death Star, he had felt the connection between them. Young and foolish as he was, he had assumed it was because they were meant for each other in some sort of a romantic sense; he hadn't even thought about examining the connection through the Force.

As Luke brought his battle-scared X-wing out of hyperspace, something suddenly flowed along the bond he shared with his sister, and Luke felt a grin rise to his face. Frowning a little as he read what was flowing to him through the bond, Luke reached along it until he found its origin. There, a little below the equator, just to the right of where he was heading now, was the elusive Rebel Base.

As Luke turned his ship toward the base's location, a hailing light blinked to life of his console. Plummeting through cloudlayer after cloudlayer, he pressed the comm activation stud.

"Unidentified fighter, you are on course to a restricted section. Please identify and state your business." As the X-wing plunged through the thick marine layer surrounding all of Kamino, this time of year, Luke felt a frown form on his face. '_Unidentified fighter?' _The X-wing class fighter was the most common among Rebel forces. He could understand a low-level Imperial base not recognizing one, but the Rebel Command Base? Clearly, whoever was manning Control needed to be retrained.

"This is Commander and Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker on an X-wing class fighter, formerly of Rogue Squadron. Requesting access to squadron landing pad." As Luke spoke, he stretched along the friendship-bond he shared with Wedge to find Rogue Squadron's landing. There it was. Luke could see it in his minds eye. Just to the left of High Command's private pad.

"Lightning interference from your location, X-wing. We do not copy. State your name and business."

"Commander Skywalker of Rogue Squadron returning to duty."

"What kind of a sick joke is this, X-wing?" Control asked after a long pause, suddenly sounding angry and hurt. "Commander Skywalker of Rogue Squadron has been MIA for eight months and is assumed dead. Now say who you really are or we'll blast you."

Luke's hands froze on his controls. '_Commander Skywalker has been MIA for eight months and is assumed dead?' _He gaped at the blinking light on his console for a few moments.

"Excuse me?"

"X-wing, I'm losing my temper. I'm just filling in for a buddy here. I'm not officially a Control officer, so I'm not gonna be all formal and third person and stuff. Just tell me who you are, and I'll tell ya where to go." _Wait a minute,_ Luke thought, frowning. The control officer who wasn't a control officer sounded an awful lot like—

"_Han?"_ Luke asked incredulously, a sad little smile on his face. Han thought he was dead. That meant Leia—_Your sister, _the little voice said again—and Wedge thought he was, too.

"Yeah, my name's Han," Han said, sounding annoyed now. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing, nothing." Luke shook his head and flicked his eyes upward. _Forgive me, _he silently prayed, and took a breath.

"My name is Teener Faon," he lied, using the name of a friend of his Uncle Owen. "I wish to join the Rebellion."

"Okay! That's what I like to hear. Get off your current trajectory and head for pad 24C. I'll turn on the landing lights, and someone will meet you there shortly." Han paused for a moment. "I don't know what you were thinking, trying to say you were Luke. The kid is dead. Everyone knows that. They even had the notice on the HoloNet a few months ago. Where've you been? Dagobah?"

Luke chuckled. "Yeah, actually," he whispered. Han didn't hear him. Luke turned toward pad 24C with an oddly constricted feeling in his chest. Frowning, he sensed it out. It was Leia. Han must have told her about the crazy who was pretending to be her brother. The feeling he was getting from Leia changed abruptly as he set down his X-wing, and a smile formed on Luke's face. Leia stood just inside the open door, out of the rain and waiting for him. Before popping his canopy, Luke unzipped his flight suit and donned his new, black Jedi cloak.

"C'mon, Artoo," Luke called, opening the canopy of his fighter and jumping to the ground with catlike grace. Artoo followed his master much less gracefully, and the pair walked down the runway, Artoo trailing a little behind. Luke pulled the cowl of his cloak over his head and lowered his face to the ground.

"Hello!" Leia called, beckoning him out of the rain. "My name's Leia Solo. Who are you?"

Luke hit a mental wall and rebounded. Leia _**Solo**_!?! Leia and Han were _**married**_!?!

"Leia?" he asked, mind still not functioning properly. "You married Han? When?"

"Excuse me?" Leia frowned, squinting at the hooded man in Jedi robes. "How do you know Han?"

Luke didn't answer. Closing his eyes, Luke lifted his head and lowered the hood.

He opened his eyes in time to see Leia gasp in recognition and clamp a hand on her mouth.

_"Luke?"_

Luke grinned.

"Surprise."


	3. Chapter 2

Two

Leia Solo stood in a state of shock. Luke Skywalker, Leia's very best friend, a friend thought to be long dead, stood there smiling; his hands open in a welcoming way. Leia ran forward, throwing her arms around the neck of her friend, and sobbing into his shoulder.

_Luke! _Leia wanted to scream. _You're alive! _All that came out was a strangled little gasp.

Luke smiled gently. "Yes, Leia," he said simply. "I'm alive."

Leia didn't care that Luke seemed to have heard her thoughts. She didn't care that she was wearing a white senatorial gown and Luke's Jedi robes were soaking wet. All Leia cared about was hugging her friend as tightly as she could, to find out if he was real or just a figment of her imagination fueled by sleepless nights and wishful thinking. If he was real, Leia was determined to never let him go. If he wasn't—_no. _Leia cut that thought off brutally. Luke had to be real. He just had to be.

"I'm real alright, Leia," Luke whispered, gently kissing her hair. That was the second time Luke had seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. Speechless no longer, Leia frowned up at Luke.

"Are you reading my mind?" she asked incredulously, staring into the depths of Luke's vivid blue eyes. The corners of Luke's mouth twitched upward into a little smirk.

"Well, you _are_ thinking rather loudly," Luke confessed. Leia let out a tiny laugh and shook her head, settling back into Luke's wet embrace. Her head snapped up.

"Where have you been all this time, Luke?" Leia asked, stepping back from him and looking him over. "Were you finishing you're Jedi training? Is that why you're wearing full Jedi robes?" Luke started to answer, but Leia cut him off excitedly.

"It doesn't matter," she told him, grabbing his hand and leading him down the hall. "You can tell me later."

"Um, Leia…?" Leia didn't pay any attention.

"I'll probably be on you're debriefing council, since Mon Mothma hasn't gotten back from the Inner Core yet." Behind her, Luke stopped walking.

"Leia…?"

"Come on, Luke!" Leia entreated, puling at his arm again. "Everyone will be so happy to see you!"

"_Leia!_"

Leia stopped. "What?"

Luke grimaced. "Can we talk somewhere before we go meet everybody? I've got to tell you something."

"Sure, Luke," Leia said, walking back to him and linking her arm through his. "What do you want to tell me?"

"Could we go someplace where we won't be interrupted?" Luke asked sheepishly, looking down at Leia with imploring eyes. Leia's heart melted at the familiar expression, still hardly believing she was actually seeing it again.

"Sure," she said, leading him around a corner and down another hallway.

"We just recently got a donation of ten stasis units from the Polis Massan Resistance," Leia explained, starting into another corridor. "They are being kept in here," she indicated a door, "And unless someone comes in who is mortally wounded, nobody will be in here at all." Nodding, Luke keyed the door open, and the pair entered, still holding hands.

"Now," Leia began, perching herself on one of the stasis units. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?" Luke leaned against another unit, facing her with a solemn expression.

"Before I left Dagobah, Yoda told me a secret. A very important one."

"What secret?" Leia asked excitedly, leaning forward like a little girl. Luke smiled.

"I have a twin sister."

"Really? Oh, Luke, that's great! Do I know her?" Luke chuckled.

"Yes, Leia. You know her very well." Luke looked at Leia with love and caring positively flooding his expression. "Happy birthday, Leia."

"Wait," Leia said, frowning. "How do you know that it's my birthday? I never told you that."

"It's my birthday, too." Leia gaped at Luke.

"Are you trying to tell me that we're…"

"Twins? Yes." Leia let out a little gasp of amazement.

"Incredible!" Leia breathed, getting over her shock a little.

"There's more."

Leia smiled. Any more news like that, and she would never get to sleep that night. "Tell me."

"This won't be easy for you to hear," Luke warned.

"Tell me," she insisted.

"You remember how I told you that my—_our--_ father was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader?" Leia confirmed this with a nod. "Well, Ben wasn't telling the whole truth. Our father is alive."

"He is?" Leia asked, a smile lighting up her face. "Who is he? _Where _is he?"

Luke sighed resignedly. "He's an Imperial Commander."

Leia felt her heart sink. "What's his name? Do I know him?"

"His name is Anakin Skywalker, but he goes under a pseudonym. And yes, you know him very well."

Hope rose in Leia's chest again. She knew many Imperial Commanders who were sympathetic to the Rebellion. "What pseudonym?"

"Leia…"

"_What pseudonym?"_

Luke's mechanical right hand clenched tight.

"Darth Vader."


	4. Chapter 3

Three

"_Darth Vader?" _

Luke Skywalker winced at the venomous tone in his sister's voice. But then he nodded.

"Darth Vader," Luke confirmed. Leia went white and pressed a trembling hand against her mouth.

"Oh Force," she whispered, letting out a shaky breath. Her eyes came up and locked with Luke's. "How do you know?"

Luke looked down to his hands; to the one covered by a single black glove. "He told me," Luke whispered, clenching and unfurling his mechanical hand. "On Bespin."

Luke winced as a phantom pain shot through his metal nerve endings, and he held up the gloved hand. "Right after he did this."

"Oh, Luke…" Leia moaned sympathetically, sidling up next to him and giving him a squeeze. She shot Luke a sideways glance as a new emotion sprang to the forefront of her sense. "Does he know about us?" Her tone was suddenly as cold as Hoth.

"No." Luke gave a little sigh. "Just me."

"So… _he_ doesn't know I'm his…." Leia's hard voice trailed off, as if she couldn't bring herself to say the word.

"No. He still thinks you're Bail Organa's daughter."

"And I am," Leia snarled, jumping to her feet with a vehemence in her eyes that Luke had never seen before. That look, however, was nothing compared to absolute disgust and detestation that was flowing to Luke through his Force-bond with his sister. "I'm not his daughter by anything other than a cruel trick of fate."

Luke let out a little sigh, his mind shying away from the loathing that was radiating from Leia's Force signature. "Leia, I've had eight months to come to terms with this, but I don't want it to destroy you the way it did me. When he first told me, I jumped off a gantry to get away from him. I screamed myself hoarse on the medical frigate, trying to get his voice out of my head." Luke looked down with a shudder, the voice still ringing in his thoughts. Leia's breathing calmed as Luke looked steadily up at her. "You're my _sister_, Leia. I care about you. I don't want you to have to go through what I did."

Leia looked back down at the ground. "I understand, but I can't forgive him. He tortured me. Stars, Luke, he destroyed Alderaan! You probably wouldn't feel the way I do if he had destroyed Tatooine, but Alderaan was a place you could never get tired of! Can't I at least harbor a little resentment?"

"Resentment? Yes," Luke admitted in a soft tone, one that quickly turned harsh with his next words. "The hatred I sense coming out from you in waves? No. Hatred is of the Dark Side, Leia. You're Force sensitive. You have to worry about it as much as I do."

Leia dropped onto one of the other stasis units with a heavy sigh. "Wait a minute," she whispered, eyes coming up to rest on her brothers. "I'm Force sensitive?"

"You're the daughter and twin sister of two Jedi Knights," Luke replied with a laugh. "Of _course_ you're Force sensitive." A slight pause, and a little smirk appeared on Luke's face. "I can train you, if you'd like."

"If I'd like? Are you space crazy? I wouldn't like, I'd love!" Leia laughed, the first time since learning of her parentage. "I'm not going to let you get the best of me, little brother!"

"_Big_ brother, actually," Luke corrected, drawing himself up to his full height with a mock-hurt expression on his face. "I'm a whole minute older than you, so there!"

Leia laughed again. "Says who?" she sneered playfully.

"Master Yoda. He was there_." _The pair dissolved into giggles at their childish banter.

"I've always thought of you as my brother," Leia said, sobering a little. Luke smiled at his sister.

"Me, too." Something caught Leia's attention, and the grin disappeared.

"Luke?" Leia asked cautiously, all traces of her earlier giddiness erased. Luke's smile was still intact as he answered. "Hmm?"

Leia looked up at her brother, eyes wide, and pointed to a spot just behind and to the left of Luke's position.

"Is it just me, or is that stasis chamber giving a life reading?"


	5. Chapter 5

Four

Padmé Amidala-Skywalker could feel Life fleeing from her tired body as she lay in an operating room on the medical planet of Polis Massa. Her vision swam in and out of focus, but Padmé didn't care. She didn't really care about anything, just then. She only cared about one thing.

"Where is Anakin?" she'd asked, when the induced contractions were just beginning. Obi-wan had averted his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Padmé. Anakin is dead."

_Anakin is dead…_

That had been her only thought as she'd given birth, first to the boy she had known was coming, and then to the girl, foretold by—

_Anakin is dead…_

That had been her only thought as she'd given names to her children, 'Luke', the strong name she had picked herself, and 'Leia', the name chosen by—

_Anakin is dead... _

That had been her only thought as they'd shown her Leia, a miniature version of herself, and Luke, a tiny replica of—

_Anakin is dead…_

Padmé looked up at Obi-wan now, and reached out a hand to him, determined to get her message out while she still could.

"There is… _was_…good in him…still…."

The darkness that had been gathering at the edges of her mind surged forward.

_Anakin is dead... _

* * *

Padmé Amidala-Skywalker blinked her eyes open under the harsh glare of blue-white glowpanels. She quickly surveyed her surroundings.

She was sitting in one of ten stasis units that were seemingly stored in the small room she found herself in. The room was otherwise empty except for two humans—a man wearing black Jedi robes and a woman in a senatorial gown—standing near the unit she was in. The woman wore a wedding ring on her left hand and though she could not see the ring finger of the male, to judge by their proximity to each other and their body language, they were married. Both were staring at her.

"Hello," Padmé said, trying to illicit a reaction from the young couple before her. Neither responded. They just continued to stare. Padmé frowned. There was something about their eyes that was disturbingly familiar. It unnerved her. She decided to try again.

"I'm Padmé," she said loudly. "Who are you?" The taller one, the man, stepped forward.

"I'm Luke," he said, his voice sounding Tatooine with a myriad of other accents, from Coruscanti to Corellian, mixed in. He indicated the woman next to him. "This is my sister."

Oh -ho! So they weren't married! Interesting. Padmé smiled as she recognized the man's name.

"I like that name," she said wistfully, smiling at the pair. "_Luke._ It's such a strong name." She paused. "I named my son 'Luke'."

"You did?" The man seemed surprised. Padmé nodded.

"Yes. Speaking of which…." She let her voice trail off as she glanced around her again. "Where are my children?"

Brother and sister exchanged looks, and for the first time, the woman spoke.

"Children?" Even in that one word, Padmé could hear a distinct Alderaani accent. So, they had been raised separately. Very interesting.

"Yes. Children. My newborn twins." Padmé smiled.

"My little Luke and Leia."


	6. Chapter 6

Five

Darth Vader was brooding.

The crew of the Super Star Destroyer _Executor _usually knew what to do with their tyrannical Sith Lord. Vader wanted excellence, and would stop at nothing to get it. If an officer made a big mistake, he was killed. If an officer made a small mistake, he was demoted and sent to the front lines, where he would probably be killed. If an officer made a mistake due to improper training, the person responsible for giving that training was killed. Simple, to the point and deadly, the system was efficient and got results, even if it was unpleasant. Vader was predictable; it was one of the only things the men actually liked about him.

And then, there was Skywalker.

After the appearance of Skywalker, the Dark Lord had become obsessive and moody, lashing out harshly for no reason at all, or merely ordering brig terms for punishment. And then, after three months of fruitless searching, the report had come that Skywalker was dead.

A great change had come over Vader. The men had thought his obsessive nature was different, but it was nothing compared to how he was now. Contemplative and silent, even catatonic at times, Vader had become far more introspective and dark in the five months since the death notice had gone out.

Darth Vader was brooding.

It was the twenty year anniversary of Padmé's death.

Vader let out a heavy sigh, though it sounded indistinguishable from his loud, hissing breathing. Since Luke had died—_Force, it's painful just to think that_—locating the ever-roaming Rebels had become a tedious chore, requiring long hours of hated meditation. His sources claimed that the Rebels had a new Command Base, though said sources were too incompetent to say _where, _and thus it was up to Vader to find them himself

Vader sighed again, and turned to his Admiral. "Piett," he rumbled quietly. The man looked up expectantly.

"Yes, milord?" _Ah, such competence is refreshing. _Beneath the mask, Vader smiled.

"You have the bridge, Admiral," Vader said, and turned his back on the stars.

The walk to Vader's private quarters took less time than seemed usual, but he shrugged it off. It wasn't that he was anticipating the meditation—on the contrary, he felt like dragging his feet, except that Sith Lords do not. It seemed to him that the Force was beckoning him forward. Not one to ever disagree with strong compulsions of the Force, Vader quickened his pace.

Vader entered his hyperbaric chamber and set about removing his cumbersome armor. Force, how he _loathed_ having to wear the stuff, more even than he hated Obi-wan for putting him in it. Suddenly puzzled, the Dark Lord cocked his head to one side, a frown rising to his face. He hated something more than Obi-wan? Vader hadn't known that was possible.

Resigning himself to his meditation, Vader settled himself on his nerf-leather meditation pad and stirred up hatred in himself. Meditation with the Dark Side was much easier than Obi-wan's had ever been, since it required hate and anger—emotions that the word 'meditation' easily aroused. With loathing and fury rushing through him, Vader easily touched the essence of the Dark Side.

Shock flooded his senses, and he quickly broke contact. Instead of having to search long and hard for the trace of Force-sensitivity he knew a certain Alderaanian princess to possess, a different, long-forgotten, but still much-loved presence had assaulted him the moment he had been in contact with the Force.

Padmé.

_Alive._

Vader hurriedly reached out to the Force again, neglecting his negative emotions for the Light in his haste to feel his wife. There she was, her mind glowing bright and happy like it always had when she thought of Naboo, or, toward the end there, at the mention of—

_The_ _baby._

Luke.

Suddenly, and without warning, the blindingly bright and forceful presence of his son joined with that of his mother, the two together snapping Vader out of his concentration. The shock was too much. Not only was Padmé alive, but their son also!

_We could be a family again._

Vader shoved the thought out of his mind, determined not to get his hopes up. Padmé wouldn't want him, not the way he had Force-choked her and left her to die on Mustafar. Luke certainly wouldn't want him either, not after Bespin.

_After Bespin._ Vader's blood boiled at the thought. He hadn't meant it to turn out the way it had. After all, he had been acting on—

_Palpatine. _Vader had been acting on _Palpatine's _orders.

_Palpatine, _the one who had summoned him three months after Bespin and told him that Luke had not survived the jump from the gantry.

_Palpatine, _the one who had told him that he had murdered Padmé.

_Palpatine. _The one who had _lied to him._

_Palpatine had lied!_

It was as though a great floodgate had opened in Vader's soul, letting every pent up emotion and fear out at once. Hot tears flowed down Vader's face, and great sobs racked his body as he realized the truth for the first time in twenty years.

_Palpatine had lied._

Palpatine had lied _all_ _along_.

_**Was it possible? **_

It was.

A sudden insight broke through to Vader, and he snapped his head up. If Palpatine—_how I __**HATE HIM! **_—had lied about Padmé's death, was it possible that he had lied about Vader's need for life support?

_**Was it possible?**_

It was.

Vader shot to his feet, a sense of purpose driving him like never before in his life. If his injuries could indeed be fixed, there was only one place he could think off where it could be done.

In secret.

Vader was now absolutely sure that he would need to be completely quiet about this with his Master—_Oh, Force, I'm a slave all over again! A slave to __**HIM! **_

_**NEVER!**_

Quickly donning his mask and armor,—_For the last time, I hope!_ —Vader –_Am I still 'Vader'? I don't know anymore_—strode to his comm and raised the bridge.

"Admiral Piett," Vader—_Vader? Anakin? Vader, at least for now_—called. Piett moved to the holocomm's line of reception.

"Yes, my Lord?" _Am I still a 'Lord'?_

"Make your course to the Kamino system."


	7. Chapter 7

Six

Not for the first time that day, Leia Solo was at a loss for words. It took every ounce of her eighteen plus years of training in the art of 'diplomatic façade', as her adoptive father—_No! My __**real father**_—had called it, to keep her mouth from dropping open. Leia stole a quick glance at Luke to see how he was reacting. As a Tatooine farmboy with no diplomatic experience whatsoever, Leia expected to find her brother's jaw hanging off its hinges. Surprisingly, Luke had simply leaned against the back wall, his expression oddly reminiscent of a picture Leia had once seen of General Kenobi dated sometime during the Clone Wars. Leia looked back at the woman

"Excuse me, for a minute, will you?" she said sweetly, smiling at Padmé. "I'd like to talk to my brother for a bit. Luke? If I could see you out in the hall for a moment?"

"Of course," Luke replied with legendary Jedi calm, though Leia could feel his heart racing at an erratic rate. Once outside in the corridor, Leia rounded on her brother.

"I see that little smirk, Luke," Leia warned, looking pointedly at her brother. "This lady _can't_ be our mother! It's just too unreal! I mean, Padmé would be easier to accept than…_him…_ but, honestly, Luke, she's just a random lady we pulled out of a stasis unit! And you're already contemplating running in there and screaming '_Mommy!'_"

Luke slumped sideways against the wall, looking down. "You have a point, Leia," he said quietly, left hand absent-mindedly fiddling with the seam of his true-leather glove. "But…. The Force is telling me this is right. And Leia…." Realization came over Luke's features, and he glanced up excitedly. "If you want proof, check the locket!"

_The locket!_

On Leia's tenth birthday, her adoptive father had given her a locket. The holo inside was of a young woman with long brown hair dressed in white senatorial robes. Bail Organa had said that the woman was her mother. Leia wore that locket every day, and now, it would come in handy. She slipped its long chain from around her neck, and opened it. She formed a mental image of the woman and studied it. Slowly, slowly, not losing the mental image of the woman in the other room, Leia opened her eyes and looked at the picture.

They were the same.

"Oh, Force," Leia breathed, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. Luke grinned widely at her, and Leia suddenly heard a voice very much like his in her head. _I told you so._

"Luke, what are we going to tell her?" she hissed, glancing back at the door meaningfully, all doubts erased by the confirmation of the locket. "I mean, we can't exactly waltz in there and say '_Hi! Guess what? You've been in stasis for twenty years, and we're your children!_' It would devastate her!"

"Calm down, Leia," Luke said soothingly. "We'll think of something. Maybe Mon Mothma knew her once or something. She had to have been involved in some aspect of government to have met and married a Jedi Knight." At the reference to Vader, Leia's defensiveness came back full force. Shock rising to the forefront of her mind again, Leia looked up worriedly at her brother.

"Force, Luke! How do we tell her about Vader?" Luke looked intense suddenly, that particular conundrum obviously having slipped his mind.

"Leia, something tells me this is going to need delicate speech, and we both know I'm no diplomat." Leia smiled indulgently at that. _True, how true. _"You go speak to mother, and I'll try to find Han."

"Alright." Steeling herself, Leia made to return to the room, but was stopped by a hand on her arm. Leia turned back to her brother, only to discover that he still hadn't moved from his position, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. A small gasp of amused amazement escaped her lips; a slight grin appeared on her face.

"Yes, Master Jedi?" she quipped. Luke's face went a shade pinker, but then he grinned unabashedly.

"Directions won't be necessary," Luke said sarcastically, quirking an eyebrow expectantly. Leia smiled sweetly.

"But, Master Jedi! Surely you of all people don't need directions to find your brother-in-law." Leia favored her brother with a smirk, and was rewarded by a pair of rolled eyes.

The laugh that started in Leia's heart was silenced as she returned to the storage room. Taking a seat opposite her, Leia looked at her mother with something close to a frown in her eyes. Padmé looked up with a smile.

"If you're trying to think of a way to tell me that Anakin is dead, don't worry." Padmé paused, eyes growing shiny. "I already know."

Padmé's words didn't make any sense to Leia, but she shook them off, resolving to deal with them later. "I'm sorry," Leia said, feigning sympathy. "But I didn't actually come back to tell you about… Anakin." The word was said without expression, eliciting no emotion on the surface. Inside, however, Leia breathed a sigh of relief. That name was so much easier to call _'Father'_ than… that other name.

"Where's your brother, anyway?" Mother asked, glancing back at the door.

"He went to go find a commanding officer." Padmé gave a little nod.

"He looks like my husband did at that age." Mother shrugged playfully. "I like him."

Leia smiled. "Luke is a very likable person." A pause. "I did actually come here to tell you something."

Leia took a breath and set her resolve. "I know this will be a shock to you, so I'm going to try to make it as comfortable as I can. Your name is Padmé, right? Padmé Skywalker?"

"Yes." A frown creased Mother's forehead. "How do you know? I never told you that."

_" _I can't think of any other way to say this. Padmé—" _Mother, Force forgive me_ _"_—you've been in stasis for twenty years."

Padmé started. "I've _what?"_

"Luke isn't just my brother. He's my _twin_ brother."

"_Are you saying…?"_ Padmé's eyes couldn't get any wider.

"My name is Leia."

"You're my Mother."


	8. Chapter 8

Seven

Very little could surprise a man like Han Solo. He had flown from one side of the galaxy to the other, and had seen some pretty weird stuff. Especially that wizardry stuff the Kid was showing off the last time he'd been seen. Han liked to think that nothing could surprise him any more.

But that was before the short humanoid in the big, black cloak bumped into him while he was coming around a blind turn.

"Hey! Watch it!" Han growled, brushing the guy aside as he hurried onward in the direction of his and Leia's quarters. Shift was finally off, and after Leia finished dealing with the loony Luke-impersonator, Han was looking forward to a nice, quiet evening curled up in front of the HoloNet.

"Han!" A strong hand suddenly caught his arm, and Han whirled around, a whole slew of graphic curses rising to the occasion. Every single one of them was instantly replaced by a single name as Han recognized the man before him.

"_Luke?_"

Luke grinned, his eyes briefly flicking upward. "That's right! I'd forgotten I was 'dead'." Luke let out a little sigh. "Listen, Han, before you start thinking I'm jealous of you and Leia, let me tell you, I'm not. We wouldn't have worked anyway. Han," Luke grimaced, a sympathetic hiss filtering through his teeth. "Look, Han, I'm really sorry, but I can't think of any other way to tell you this. Leia's my twin sister—"

"_What?_"

"—Our father is Darth Vader—"

"_Vader!_"

"—And we just found our mother in one of those donated stasis units."

Han slumped weakly against the hard durasteel wall and did nothing to stop himself from sliding to the floor, his eyes focused on nothing. Luke sympathetically knelt down beside him and clapped a hand on his shoulder, biting his bottom lip.

"Sorry, Han, but at least it's all over with now, right?" Luke dropped onto the floor beside Han and looked across at him, a slight grin on his face. Han slowly shook his head, a small, nervous laugh escaping his lips.

"What've I got myself into?" he asked, more to himself than to Luke. "Leia's old man is Darth Vader?" He glanced across at Luke, a little amused smirk twisting the corner of his mouth upward. "Remind me never to have the in-laws over."

Luke laughed at that, throwing his head back and getting to his feet. He held out a hand, and Han took it, still shaking his head. "I can't believe this," Han moaned. Letting out a resigned sigh, Han turned to his brother-in-law.

"Well, we'd better go tell General Rieekan you're here, and see if we can get you back with the Rogues." Had began to lead the way down the hall again, but Luke stopped him.

"I'm fine," he said, starting to walk the other way. "We can get me settled in anytime. I'm worried about Mother. I don't know what twenty years of stasis will do to the human body."

"Right." Han nodded, and led Luke to the med wing. Luke stopped him outside the one of the storage rooms.

"I'll get Mother and Leia," Luke explained, ducking into the room. Seconds later, Leia and a short woman that looked more like Leia's twin than Luke did stepped out of the room.

"Han!" Leia called by way of greeting. She indicated the woman beside her. "This is my mother, Padmé. Mom, this is my husband, Han."

"Good to meet you," Padmé said kindly, sounding nothing like what Han would have expected from Vader's wife, and extended a hand. Han took it somewhat nervously, and, as Leia had taught him, sketched a bow over it. Padmé's delighted laugh reached his ears, and he looked up, startled.

"Leia, sweetheart, when you said Corellian, I was expecting a cocky nerf-herder type, not this perfect gentleman!" Behind Han, Luke almost choked on a barely restrained laugh, and Leia silenced him with a hard look. Luke took a deep breath, and settled into a sabacc face Lando would've been hard pressed to decipher.

"Well, thanks, ma'am," Han said, turning his attention back to Leia's mother. "I do try my best. Now, Luke tells me that you've been in that stasis chamber for a while, so we should probably get the medics to look you over. We recently got a real expert here at the base, so if anything's wrong, I'm sure she'll be able to fix you right up. How does that sound?"

"It sounds just fine, Han," Padmé said, smiling. As Leia and Han started down the hallway in the direction of medbay, Padmé stopped and turned her attention back to Luke.

"Luke, dear, are you coming?" Luke didn't answer. He remained in his position against the wall, trembling slightly, and staring blankly at the opposite wall, his skin a deathly white. Padmé edged closer, concern written in her eyes.

"Luke?"

Slowly, Luke's vacant gaze slid up and over his mother, and locked on his sister.

"Vader's here."


	9. Chapter 9

Eight

If running was suitably dignified for a person of his rank and stature, Darth Vader would have been sprinting. As it was, he had to settle for a swift, slightly hurried walk as he made his way down the walkway connecting the landing pad on which his private shuttle rested to the medical compound of the city. Happiness and anticipation bubbled up inside of him like a fountain in the Imperial Palace. Padmé was alive, Luke was alive, he would soon be fully human again, and the Emperor was not long for the galaxy, if he had his way.

Vader had a sudden urge to skip.

_No! _he commanded himself tersely, beating the impulse to a pulp._ Sith Lords __**don't**__ skip!_ If it hadn't been for the fact that Piett, who was watching from onboard the gently rising shuttle, would probably report him to the Emperor, Vader would have regardless.

A tall, thin Kaminoan was waiting just inside the door to one of the many hallways that made up this section of the city. The alien—a female, to judge by the lack of a showy head crest—gave a small bow as Vader approached. Vader acknowledged with a slight inclination of his head.

"Lord Vader," the Kaminoan greeted, gesturing down a hallway with her three fingered hands. "My name is Pei Da. I am the head of the visitor-relations portion of the medical center here. I informed the doctors of your call. They are waiting for you."

Vader nodded his thanks, and the pair began the walk down to the center. "Will they be able to start the procedure right away?" he asked, trying not to sound to hopeful.

Pei Da made a noncommittal movement with her long neck. "It depends. With some patients, yes. With others, it takes a few months before they can begin."

"I understand." Beneath his mask, Vader bit back a graphic Huttese curse. _A few months!_ Vader wanted to start his search for Padmé as soon as possible, but something told him that it would be easier to find a woman who obviously didn't want to be found if he was at least fully human again. Vader smiled at the prospect, though he was careful not to give any outward indication of his feelings.

Vader and Pei Da rounded a sharp, blind turn, and suddenly found themselves in the reception area of a highly specialized medical clinic. Another Kaminoan awaited them, this one an abnormally short male.

"Lord Vader, I would like to present Doctor Saa Ti, our expert reconstructive surgeon." Pei Da made the introduction and retreated respectfully. "I'll leave the two of you to your discussions."

"My Lord Vader," Saa Ti greeted, inclining his long neck gracefully. Though the doctor was of extremely short stature for his species, he was only a few centimeters shorter than Vader, which put him at almost exactly the same height as Admiral Piett.

"Doctor." Vader nodded respectfully to the alien. Saa Ti led the way down a side passage to a large, clean office, and indicated that Vader should sit.

"Lord Vader, I have reviewed your rather extensive medical files, and I must say I am quite shocked and appalled at the substandard treatment you received for your injuries." At this admission from the doctor, Vader found himself fuming all the more. Here was a doctor with whom he had no history whatsoever, and even he had been able to see clearly that the life-support suit was unnecessary. _I will get you for this, Palpatine,_ Vader snarled mentally._ I will avenge the twenty lost years with my life if I have to. Mark my words._ The doctor, not knowing the passionate hatred that was flowing through his prospective patient, continued.

"We will be able to begin the procedure immediately, as is your wish. However, due to the lack of proper fasting and preparation time, your recovery will be longer. Is this acceptable?"

Vader didn't hesitate.

"Begin at once."


	10. Chapter 10

Next chapter...

Sorry for all the delays. I'm afraid this holiday season was even crazier than normal. A trip to Disney, plus spliting the hols between recently divorced parents for the first time. *sighs* No excuses though, I'm going to upload as many chapters as possible tonight. Enjoy!

Also, if you have read this, but not my Star Wars fic "Legacy" please check it out, and feel free to suggest improvments and characters. Thanks!

* * *

Nine

Padmé Amidala-Skywalker wandered aimlessly through the wide, pristine corridors of Kamino Base, completely immersed in thought. She didn't know where she was walking, nor did she care that it was the middle of the night, local time; she let her feet guide her where they may. All that she cared about was unraveling her tangled thoughts.

Padmé had done her best to hide her emotions while she was with Luke, Leia, and Han, but from the way Luke had been staring at her, she didn't think he had been fooled. Padmé grinned, slightly. She of all people should have known how hard it was to deceive a fully trained Jedi such as her son and husband.

The smile dropped from Padmé's face as she thought of Anakin. She had dared to hope that he was still alive, thinking that, _somehow_, Obi-wan had been mistaken, but no. The uncomfortable expression on both Luke and Leia's faces when she brought up the subject was more than enough confirmation for Padmé.

Anakin was dead. There was no doubt.

As much as she could try to be strong for her children, the shock of what they had told her was starting to get to her. While she had been encased in a stasis unit for exactly twenty years, the galaxy had changed beyond recognition. There had still been democracy when she had been suspended, albeit only a modicum. Now, the Senate had been disbanded, and the galaxy was truly ruled by terror.

_At least my children are trying to fight back,_ she thought, sighing heavily. _And that Solo, too. He's such a nice man._

As lost in thought as she was, Padmé didn't notice where her wanderings had led her. Stepping boldly into a new corridor, her train of thought crashed at the sight of her son.

He was meditating, but not in a way that Padmé had ever seen before. He was sitting in the standard crossed-leg position, but he was levitating several centimeters above the ground—as was everything with in a five-meter radius. Dressed as he was in a sleeveless sleep tunic, the polished metal of his mechanical arm gleamed blatantly, making his resemblance to Anakin all the more striking. Padmé was very careful not to disturb him, and began to sneak away as quietly as she could.

"Hello, Mother," Luke said calmly, though nothing at all changed in his appearance. Padmé swore mentally at failing in her attempt to get away unnoticed, and judging by the little smirk that lit up Luke's face, he had heard it. Luke finally opened his eyes, eerily glowing in the soft light. "Would you like to join me?"

"Alright," Padmé said softly, settling herself on the floor beside her son. To her surprise, she found herself rising up to Luke's level, and she let out a little laugh. "I'd forgotten Jedi could do that."

Luke smiled, and closed his eyes again, gently setting Artoo and several storage containers back down on the floor. Padmé felt Luke's presence brush up against her mind momentarily, washing her with love and affection before leaving her and looking somewhere else. Frowning suddenly, Luke pulled out of the meditation and looked back at his mother. "Is something troubling you?"

"In a way," Padmé admitted, trying to keep her thoughts light, though a slight frown creased her forehead nonetheless. Yes, something was definitely 'troubling her', as Luke so delicately put it, and she didn't need to even look at her emotions to know what they were. Or whom they were for. With a sigh, she gave in.

"Luke?" she asked, long-repressed tears finally welling up in her eyes. "What happened to Anakin? How did he die?"

Luke stared at her for a long moment before his gaze dropped back down to his quite-obvious cybernetic hand.

"He didn't."

Hope and ecstasy flooded Padmé's mind as she took in her son's words.

"Where is he? Why isn't he with you?" _Why did Obi-wan tell me he was dead?_

Luke looked up at her then, his eyes shining with unshed tears of pain and betrayal, his jaw set in a hard line that suggested he was aged far beyond his years.

The words he spoke shook Padmé to her core.

"Do you really want to know?"

_What is this secret that everyone is keeping from me? Why am I being kept in the dark?_

"Of course I want to know!" Padmé exploded angrily, jumping to her feet and glaring down at her son. "He is my husband! I am his_ wife,_ for Force sakes! I want to know what happened to my Anakin!"

Luke looked up at her, the expression on his face stopping her cold. _Are those tears? Is my son crying? Ani, what have you done to get such a reaction from your own son?_

Luke heard the last thought, apparently, because he looked down and answered for his father.

"He turned."

_No..._ Obi-wan had said changed, not turned! _Anakin, how could you?_

"Tell me," she demanded. "Tell me everything right now. Don't leave anything out. I want to know it all." Luke looked up at her.

"I'll ask again: Do you _really_ want to know?"

To Padmé, it seemed that what he was really asking was, '_Do I really have to tell you? Do I really have to say it aloud?_'

Padmé didn't answer. The look on her face was answer enough for her son.

"Sit down," he said, indicating the floor beside him as he visibly braced himself for the story. "I'll tell you."

"Everything," Padmé said, more of an order than a request. Luke nodded.

"Everything."


	11. Chapter 11

Ten

Leia Solo awoke to the loud and annoying chirping of her private holocomm unit. Rubbing sleep out of her eyes with one hand while the other pulled on a thick robe, she padded across the bedroom as quietly as she could, careful not to wake Han. She pressed the activation stud and stepped into the comm's line of reception.

"Councilor Solo," a Control officer greeted, inclining his head formally. "You requested that I inform you of Lady Mothma's return?"

"Yes," Leia responded eagerly, waking up fully.

"Lady Mothma's shuttle has just exited hyperspace."

"Thank you, Control," Leia said sincerely. The officer acknowledged this with a curt nod, and broke the connection. Gently rubbing her temples to increase blood flow to her brain, Leia crossed to the bed again and shook Han's shoulder.

"Han?" she called softly, tucking her long hair behind her ear. "Time to get up!" Han snored loudly and turned over, pulling the blankets up higher.

Rolling her eyes, Leia leaned close to Han's ear and whispered, "_Koona chu'ta, Solo?_"

Han's eyes shot open, and he glared up at Leia. "Give me a heart attack, why don'tcha? I thought we agreed not to use that as a wake up call anymore."

Leia grinned lazily at her husband. "It's the only thing that wakes you up!"

"Well, whatever it is, it'd better be good," Han grumped, rolling onto an elbow and fishing around under the bed for a pair of boots.

Leia laughed, tossing Han's favorite outfit onto his stomach, and his boots onto the floor beside him. "It is, don't worry. Mon is on her way here, and we're the receiving party."

Han paused in the middle of pulling on his pants. "Shouldn't you find Luke and your Mom? I mean, Mon will want to see them, right?"

"You know," Leia mused, fastening her long braid in place. "I hadn't thought of that." She smiled, and leaned over Han, gently brushing her lips against his. "Where would I be without you, nerfherder?"

"Oh, I don't know, still locked in a cell on the Death Star, I'd say."

Leia froze. "Han, we've talked about that."

"Sorry." Han paused looking uncomfortable. "I love you," he whispered.

Leia smiled. "I know." She kissed him once more and left the room. Focusing on the sense of anticipation she was getting from her brother, she soon located him, somewhere near one of the droid maintenance bays. _Typical._

As she neared the place where she sensed her brother, Leia began to hear voices. _Luke and Mother, from the sound of it_. _What are the two of them doing here at this time of night?_ Edging closer, Leia picked up a few of their words.

"The first time I actually met him face to face was on Bespin," Luke said, clearly apprehensive about the end of this particular story. "We, well, I won't mince words. We fought. And it wasn't pleasant. He finally cornered me, and then, he told me."

"Told you that he was your father?"

"Yes."

Leia stepped into the doorway, and stared pointedly at her brother. "You didn't tell her about your hand, Luke."

"Leia!" Padmé exclaimed, getting to her feet. "What are you—wait a minute." She turned back to Luke. "What about your hand? What happened?"

Luke sighed, fiddling with the seam of his glove again, and glanced up at Leia. _I was going to spare her that, _he told her telepathically, causing Leia to jump.

Mother looked from Luke to Leia and back again. "You two had better not be mind-talking! Just because I'm not sensitive, doesn't mean I don't want in on the conversation too. And what happened to your hand, Luke? You said you'd tell me everything."

Luke sighed again, and visibly forced himself to stop playing with his glove. "I lost it," he said quietly.

"On Bespin."

"You mean—?" Mother faltered. "Are you saying—?"

"That Vader chopped it off?" Leia paused, and then answered herself. "Yes."

Mother slumped weakly against a storage container, her hands trembling. Luke stood and went over to her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Come, Mother," he said quietly, gently helping her to stand. "We have to go meet Lady Mothma."

Leia frowned. "How did you know about that, Luke?"

"I felt her the moment she entered the system." Luke shrugged. Mother frowned at Leia, something finally breaking through her shock.

"Lady Mothma?" she wondered, moving out of Luke's embrace and nearing Leia. "As in Mon Mothma?"

"Yes."


	12. Chapter 12

Eleven

With a barely audible whisper of releasing pressure, the antique Nubian luxury yacht _Margos_ set down gently in the Alliance High Command's landing bay, eliciting a sigh of satisfaction from the ship's owner. Gently unfolding herself from her favorite chair in the lounge, Mon Mothma brushed invisible wrinkles from her formal blue robes and made her way to the cockpit.

"Another perfect landing, Commander," she said, smiling. "Although by now I shouldn't be amazed by them."

Commander Heclern grinned. "Well, I do try my best, Ma'am."

"Your best makes all my other pilots look like Gamoreans," told him frankly, and then chuckled, heading for the main hatch.

"Lower the hatch ramp, Commander," she ordered in the clear, strong voice she was known for. The ramp extended noiselessly to the ground, and Mon emerged, thanking the merciful side of the Force that the _Margos _had been able to land out of the rain.

"Leia!" she greeted, spotting the Solos among members of High Command who had come to welcome her. "Han! How have you been?"

"Oh, we've been fine," Leia said with a slight smile. Han snorted with laughter. A hooded, robed humanoid Mon didn't recognize leaned over to the petite, veiled human female beside him and whispered something in her ear. The woman laughed silently, nodding.

"Leia," Mon began curiously. "May I ask who this is?" She pointed, and Leia smiled.

"Oh, him." Then her tone became formal. "Lady Mothma, I am pleased to inform you that a Jedi has joined our ranks."

An excited murmur went through the crowd. "A Jedi!" Mon exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face. "But their kind went extinct during the Purges! The Purges ended because there weren't any left." Mon frowned, her confusion evident. "So how is there one here now?"

"The Jedi are not a 'kind', Lady Mothma," the Knight said, his whole being radiating the legendary Jedi calm, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "We are not of just one species. I am human, and my Master is over 900 years old. As to why I am joining you now, I was Knighted only yesterday by Master Yoda, and he sent me here."

"Master Yoda still lives?" Mon asked, incredulous, staring amazedly at the Jedi. "Where is he?"

"He chose to remain in his exile on the Outer Rim."

"Ah." Mon nodded. "Yes, that sounds like Yoda. Well, Master Jedi? Do you have a name?"

"Allow me, Mon," Leia jumped in, moving from her husband's side to stand with the Jedi.

"Lady Mothma," she announced, formal once again. "I'd like to present my elder twin brother, Jedi Knight and Commander—"

The Jedi threw back his hood.

"Luke Skywalker."

There was absolute silence.

"_Luke!_" Commander Antilles shouted, running forward from his place with Rogue Squadron and enveloping Skywalker in a Wookiee-hug, accompanied by Janson and Hobbie.

General Rieekan shook his head a smile on his face. "I knew we had a Jedi, but I didn't know it was Skywalker." He crossed to the group surrounding Skywalker and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Good to have you back with us, son."

The smile on Skywalker's face faltered just a little, but was back quickly as more Rogues greeted him. "Thanks very much, General," he said earnestly, but then he turned back to his friends. He suddenly appeared to Mon more like the nineteen-year old farmboy who had destroyed the Death Star than the Jedi Knight he was.

"Enough!" Dodonna snapped, his voice hard. "While I am relieved to see Skywalker alive, I believe there are certain explanations in order." He turned to the crowd.

"Commander Luke Skywalker has been absent with out leave for eight months, leaving Rogue Squadron with out a Leader." Dodonna rounded on Skywalker, eyes flashing. "Do you have anything to say for yourself? Where have you been these eight months, during which our elite Rogue Squadron dissolved into eleven Gamorean nerfherders!"

"Now wait just one minute!" Leia and Antilles said in unison.

"We weren't that bad," Antilles protested, looking hurt. "And besides, Gamoreans don't herd nerfs!"

"We know exactly where Luke went!" Leia exploded, voice icy and eyes burning. "He was getting his Jedi training! He wasn't a Jedi Knight when we were on Hoth!"

"I frankly wouldn't know, Princess," Dodonna returned, voice as cold as Leia's. "I didn't go to Hoth."

"But you were on my debriefing council after we lost Han to Fett! Do you really think Bespin would have turned out the way it did if Luke had been a Jedi Knight?" Leia turned to the crowd of Commanders, Admirals, and Generals, and raised her voice. "Show of hands: how many of you honestly think that a quadruple amputee burn victim with a breathing problem and a respirator suit would be able to beat a twenty-year-old, fully human Jedi Knight?"

Not one hand went up.

"Thank you very much," Leia said, bowing slightly to the onlookers and turning back to Dodonna. "I rest my case."

"Be that as it may," Dodonna conceded, looking harsh. "But how do we know that he is really a Jedi? I have yet to see any physical evidence of his supposed powers—."

"_General_—" Leia began dangerously, leveling a finger at Dodonna, but Skywalker cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"If it's a demonstration you want, General, you just had to ask." Skywalker turned to Mon. "Lady Mothma, is there anyone aboard your ship?"

"No," Mon replied, shaking her head. "Commander Heclern is right here."

"Good." Skywalker took a deep breath and lidded his eyes, extending his gloved hand toward the _Margos._ The sleek, polished yacht trembled, groaned, and lifted off the floor. Everyone, from Mon down to absent minded slicer who had been looking for a 'fresher, gasped. Skywalker opened his eyes, grinning and set the _Margos _down, her landing gear making no noise as they touched the ground. Skywalker turned to Dodonna questioningly.

"Satisfied?" Dodonna nodded mutely, still staring at the now immobile _Margos_. "Good. Anything else?"

"Yes, actually," Mon piped up, striding over to Leia. "It's about this claim that you and Leia are twins." Mon let out a little chuckle. "Although it was quite impressive, lifting the _Margos_ telepathically doesn't prove your kinship."

Skywalker and Leia laughed. "Actually, we do have proof of that," Leia said, smiling. "Mother?"

The woman Skywalker had been talking with earlier stepped forward. "Mother can vouch for us, Skywalker said quietly. "I think you'll find her easy to trust." He turned to the woman. "Go on, Mother," he urged gently. "Show her who you are."

Looking directly at Mon, the woman slowly raised a hand to her veil, and tore it off.

Mon's mouth opened slightly.

"Padmé?"


	13. Chapter 13

Twelve

_Heat._

_A sensation._

_A sensation of pleasure, or agony. Comfort, or pain._

_Love, or betrayal._

_A sensation._

_That's all it was, but for him, it meant everything._

_Every significant moment in his life had been about heat._

_The abnormally hot day on Tatooine when he had won the Podrace and his freedom, but left his mother behind…_

_The warm spring air that day on Naboo, when he had Padmé had shared their first kiss…_

_The burning rage at his mother's death at the hands of Tuskens…_

_The searing lick of a lightsaber as it severed his right arm…_

_The glorious heat of passion on his and Padmé's wedding night…_

_The look on Padmé's face, glowing with warm pride as she told him, 'Ani, I'm pregnant!' _

_The conflagration of fury that coursed through his veins at Padmé's betrayal…_

_The blazing fires of Mustafar, tripling the agony left by the hot, bitter sting of Obi-wan's lightsaber…_

_The unaccustomed warmth of a long-forgotten emotion, one he hadn't felt for years, as he learned of the existence of his son… _

_The heat of his anger at Luke's rejection as the boy jumped off a windswept gantry rather than face his own father…_

_The blind, hot agony of loosing a child when Luke had been reported dead…_

_The sizzling wrath of yet another betrayal, as he learned of Padmé's and Luke's continued existence, and the possibility of himself being alive again…_

_The raw, hard, burning hatred and detestation he felt for the Emperor, his Master…_

_The nice, soft warmth he was feeling now…_

He slowly drifted out of sleep, his eyes squeezed shut against the bright lights of his hyperbaric chamber. _Just a moment longer!_ A voice at the back of his mind called, just as it always had.

Then, he heard the voices.

"He's waking," a calm, soft voice said. "Lord Vader, how are you feeling?"

"Like my head just went through an industrial grade garbage masher," he answered without thinking. The sound of his own voice shocked him the rest of the way awake. It wasn't the raspy, dead voice he had been expecting, the one he heard every time the mask was off; nor was it the deep, booming one that the galaxy associated with Darth Vader.

It was the voice of Anakin Skywalker.

His eyes snapped open, and his memory flooded back. _The surgery!_ he realized, a smile rising to his face.

"Doctor," he said, the voice of the young Jedi still a shock. "I take it the surgery was a success."

Saa Ti looked uncomfortable. "Well… partially."

"Partially?" he asked, frowning, an expression that had not been painless for twenty years. Mentally, he cataloged his injuries. He was not hooked up to a respirator, and there was a healthy pink glow to the synthflesh now covering his mechanical arms. "I see nothing wrong. Would you care to elaborate, Doctor?"

"We were unable to replace your right arm," the Kaminoan explained, still in the same, calm voice, though there was a hint of disappointment in it now. "Apparently, you received the limb before you reached your current height. It has integrated your system to such extent that we could not remove it without risking severe nerve damage."

Saa Ti received a blank stare.

"You mean to say," he faltered, the truth finally sinking in. "My left arm and legs are organic?"

"Yes."

He let out a nervous laugh, and ran a hand over his head, amazed at the absence of scars. With the exception of his hair, which would grow, he had been restored to his body as it had been twenty years ago.

"_Unbelievable!_" he breathed, playing with his hands; staring at them. He looked up at Saa Ti. "How long have I been out?"

"Just about twenty two hours, Milord," the Kaminoan said after a moment of calculation. "The surgery itself took eighteen, and you have been in bacta since then."

"Doctor, you have my undying gratitude," he said sincerely, his voice betraying his intense emotion.

Saa Ti gave the Kaminoan form of a grin. "Oh, your payment will be gratitude enough, I assure you."

He laughed. "I'm sure it will," he said, a smile on his face. "I'll transfer the credits as soon as I'm cleared to use a computer." He paused, a question rising to his face. "Incidentally, how long from now will that be?"

"A Two-onebee will arrive within the hour to begin physical therapy, and if all goes well, you will be cleared to visit the rest of the city by the end of the week." Saa Ti looked apologetic. "You will, of course, have to stay in the city, under observation, for the remainder of the month."

"I understand," he said, nodding.

"Well, if that is all…" the Kaminoan said, moving toward the door.

"Doctor, wait."

Saa Ti turned back. "Yes, Lord Vader?"

"While I'm here, I don't want everyone I see to know I'm Darth Vader." The words left his lips with a slight shudder. "I'd like to have a little anonymity while I recuperate."

"As you wish, milord," the Kaminoan consented, nodding slowly. "But if you are not Lord Vader, then what are we to call you?"

"Call me Anakin."


	14. Chapter 14

Thirteen

With a keen eye and a tender, practiced hand, Asher Higdon gently eased the temperamental freighter, _Ace of Staves_, out of hyperspace and glanced around nervously, looking for Imps. Asher, along with his best friend and navigator, Zak Saries, were _officially_ smugglers, down on their luck, but in lieu of other, more prestigious work, the pair, along with the _Ace_, had taken up supply freighting for the Rebellion. The pay was decent, and as long as they kept their heads down and didn't get into too much trouble with the Imps, the job was easily the least deadly one they'd ever had.

Asher smiled at that. For all Zak's spouting about 'moving on when the spice flowed again', Asher knew that the Twi'lek techno-genius would be sorry to leave the Alliance. Smuggling spice, you only got to ferry back and forth between Kessel—to pick up the goods—and Bespin—dropping it off for the hermit miners—, with occasional stops at Tatooine, Nal Hutta, and Nar Shadda. Freighting for the Alliance, however, brought you to all sorts of exotic, out of the way planets that hardly anyone could boast of visiting—Hoth, Yavin IV, Dantooine, and now this new one, Kamino.

Kamino, of all the places the _Ace_ had gone with the Alliance, was by far the strangest. Covered in water and perpetually raining, the Rebels needed specialized equipment just to go outside sometimes, which meant lots of extra pay for Asher and Zak.

The jump to get there, however, took so much skill, that Asher had once joked that he practically needed a year's worth of salary just to get it done once. A maze of short and long jumps, with odd spots for vector changes covered the twenty three parsecs from their supplier to the new base. Asher let out a sigh, tired from just thinking about it. He was glad that Zak was there to make the calculations.

"Alright, Zak," he said in his strangely high pitched voice, running his fingers through his spiky white hair, messing it up even more than it already was. "Power up the navicomp."

Silence greeted Asher's ears, and he frowned. "_Zak!_" he shouted in the general direction of navigator's station. "Get to work on those coordinates!" No answer. Grumbling, the twenty-three year old gingerly got to his feet, wincing at the pins and needles he felt, and stomped up the short ramp to the back end of the cockpit. Asher loosed a moan of frustration, kneading his forehead with the heels of his hands. The abnormal powder-blue Twi'lek was slumped in his chair, blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

Asleep.

"_ZAK!_" Asher screamed at the top of his lungs, righteous anger filling him. Zak's pale orange eyes snapped open, and he turned with a glare to Asher.

"What? Can't a guy get a snooze 'round here?" Asher frowned at his friend.

"Zak, no!" Asher told him plainly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the galaxy. _Which it is,_ he thought, but didn't say. "We've got another jump to calculate! C'mon!"

"Okay, okay! I'm calculatin', I'm calculatin'!" Zak whined, turning back to his console. "Sheesh!" Asher gave an exasperated sigh and ran a hand over his face, slumping back against the bulkhead. A sharp intake of breath from Zak made him look up.

"What?" he asked, confused at his friend's sudden, excited expression. Zak looked up, gazing out of the forward viewport.

"That," he said simply, pointing. Asher's gaze flicked upward. There, floating serenely less than a klick away from the _Ace_, was small, insignificant one-man courier ship. Bearing the Imperial insignia. Asher let out a weak little groan.

"They've found us!" he moaned, picking at the fingernails of his left hand, like he always did when he was scared. Zak looked up at him, an amused expression on his face.

"What're you worryin' about?" Zak asked, a laugh coloring his words. Asher glanced down at the communications array.

"That shuttle's transmitting code 000! It's surrendering!" he exclaimed, his face breaking into a wide grin, as he snapped the comm on. "Imperial courier!" he hailed, the wide grin still in place. "We have received your surrender. Please respond."

"Alliance freighter," a crackling, indistinct voice responded, shocking both Asher and Zak. _**Alliance**__ freighter? Not Rebel?_ "I'm sorry if I scared you. I've known for a while that this is one of your relays, and I've been waiting for a ship big enough to dock my ship." The voice paused for a moment. "I want to join the Alliance."

Asher and Zak looked at each other, shock masking their features. "That's… great!" Asher said, faltering slightly. "We don't have a tractor beam, but I'll open the landing bay for you."

"Thanks very much!" the Imperial exclaimed, their excitement obvious even over the bad connection. Asher turned to Zak, his expression bemused.

"What were you afraid of, Zak?" he asked sarcastically, letting his friend have a laugh. "You take care of the technicalities. I'm going to greet our guest."

"Righto, cap'n," Zak replied in as jaunty a fashion as he could muster, earning another relieved, giddy laugh from Asher. He stepped out into the main hallway, slowly wending his way past the lounge and the cabins to the hanger bay, taking as long as he could, to give the Imp enough time to land.

He finally heard the hiss of pressure change, and smiled. Waiting a few moments, he called loudly. "Is she pressurized yet, Zak?"

"All taken care of, Ash!" came the reply, stuttering through the second hand intercom system. "I'll be there in a few seconds!"

"Okay!" Asher steeled himself, and keyed the door open. The courier ship looked like an overgrown bird of prey, with its wings hunched forward and its support thrusts splayed out like talons. Stepping up to the cockpit, nestled between the wings and looking far too much like a hooked beak for his liking, Asher smiled at the opaque front view ports, and gave the universal sign for safety—a raised fist with the thumb pointing upward.

Asher was answered by the silent lowering of the hatchramp, unfolding like a tail from the back of the ship. Asher, followed by Zak, swiftly walked around to its base, to welcome their new comrade.

The imperial was a young woman. A _beautiful_ young woman. Though she was scarcely older than eighteen, scarcely more than a girl, she carried herself with a regal bearing far beyond her years. Her hair was the color of firegold, and was held in a loose, long braid that cascaded over one shoulder. Her eyes were greener than the forests of Kashyyyk, and burned with a fire that equaled none. She was short, lean, and muscular, but she seemed a giantess.

"He-hello!" stammered an awestruck Asher, struggling to keep his mouth closed. "I-I'm Asher Higdon, captain of the _Ace of Staves_."

"And I'm Zak Saries, navigator. Welcome aboard!" Zak stepped forward, looking far more like the captain than Asher could ever hope to look. "May I ask your name?"

"Well, sure!" the girl/woman replied coquettishly, batting her eyelashes. Then she laughed, a sound that held mirth, and gaiety, and youth, and a hint of something..._else_, though what it was, Asher couldn't say. The woman/girl flashed her teeth in a dazzling smile, and swung her braid off her shoulder to hang down her back. Giving a jaunty smirk, she folded her arms and said, in a perfect imitation of the famous holo-star:

"The name's Jade. _Mara_ Jade."


	15. Chapter 15

Fourteen

Technically speaking, Padmé Amidala-Skywalker had been given a place on the Alliance's High Council because she was one of the original founders, and as such, in the words of Mon Mothma, a 'valuable asset'. In reality, Padmé felt like more of a hindrance than a help.

At first, Padmé had spent nearly all of her time making notes of names and dates she didn't know, intent on asking Leia or Luke about them after the meeting. The meeting dragged on far longer than Padmé's single piece of flimsi would allow, however, and Padmé's mind, already struggling with the amount of information she had taken in during the past week, had frozen up. Now, she was absentmindedly drumming her fingers on her knee, her chin rested on her hand, watching Luke idly play with her neatly folded flimsi, levitating it, and making it waltz with her archaic ink pen.

The sharp crack of a gavel made Padmé and Luke jump; the pen and flimsi finished off their dance with a quick dip, and flew back to their original position. Mon looked amusedly in their direction, one eyebrow raised.

"I would like to congratulate Miss Pen and Mr. Flimsi on their spectacular performance," Mon said with a wry grin, earning a confused frown from General Dodonna, who had just finished his report, and a laugh from almost everyone else. "But I'm afraid the encore presentation will have to wait. It has been brought to my attention that the resident Kaminoans have excellent medical facilities, and no great love for the Empire. I believe it would be advantageous to us as well as them to form an alliance." She paused, glancing around. "I'm looking for volunteers to bring greetings to the Kaminoans and to negotiate a treaty."

Luke's hand immediately shot off the table. "I'll go."

"Luke," Leia said, glancing at her brother. "Count me in."

"I'm with you, too," Padmé said firmly, laying a hand on the table.

"So that's the way it's gonna be, huh?" Han asked, reclining back in his seat. He grinned lazily for a moment. "Alright. I'm in."

Mon looked rather pleased. "Good. I was actually hoping you'd all volunteer. Otherwise, I'd have made you go by force." She stood, and the table stood with her. "There is a shuttle standing by to take you to the capital city. That will be all. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

As she shook hands with the Kaminoan Prime Minister, Cor Te, Padmé Amidala-Skywalker felt a wide grin rising to her face, but she stopped it before it shattered her calm outer demeanor. Cor Te had agreed to the proposed union almost immediately; it had taken only a little longer to contact the other nine members of Kamino's Parliament and obtain their consent.

"I am sure you would like a tour of our city," Cor Te said, though from his tone, it was more of a question than a statement. At Leia's nod, he continued. "I will have Pei Da, the head of our visitor-relations committee, guide you." He pressed a button on his desk, and a few seconds later, the door slid open.

"Prime Minister," Pei Da greeted, inclining her long neck respectfully.

"Pei Da, I would like you to show our new allies around the city." Pei Da nodded slowly, and Cor Te turned back to Padmé. "I will expect to meet with your High Council within a standard week. Good day to you all."

"Good day, Prime Minister," Padmé responded, and she and Leia followed Pei Da out of the office.

"Well?" asked Han the second the door closed. "How did it go?"

"Great!" Leia exclaimed, as they followed Pei Da out of the governmental district. "We are now officially partners in this war!"

"Wonderful!" Luke said, turning to Pei Da. "Could you possibly tell me where the cafeteria is? I find myself rather hungry."

"Of course, Master Jedi," Pei Da said, smiling slightly, and indicating a well lit passage. "It's just down this hallway. Third door on the left."

"Thank you." Luke left, and Pei Da turned to the remaining three members of the delegation. "Would you like to see the results of our latest reconstructive surgery?" she asked, excitement evident in her calm voice. "It is really quite impressive."

"Alright," Padmé said, equally enthusiastic. Padmé had seen first hand the results of the Kaminoan's cloning techniques, and if they were half as good at reconstructive surgery as they were at cloning, Pei Da would be proved right twice over. Pei Da led them through a twisting labyrinth of corridors, finally arriving at a single door set in a dead-ending wall. Pei Da swiftly punched in the access code, and the door slid open, revealing a room that would have been cozy had it not been stark white like the rest of the city. Pei Da frowned.

"It seems our patient has gone for a walk," she explained, closing the door again and moving back up the hallway the way she had come, leaving Han, Leia and Padmé to jog behind. "No matter. We have pictures I can show you." She turned into another section of the city, one more crowded than the others they'd been to and led them to a large office.

"Here we are," she said, motioning them to sit. Pei Da called up a holoveiwer, and opened the image. "Here is the man before the surgery," she said quietly, noticing their shocked expressions.

The man was completely bald, and thick scars covered his entire face. His dull blue eyes were red and swollen, and a respirator covered his mouth. Padmé noticed Leia staring at the man with profound pity in her large brown eyes. "What does a human being have to live through to end up like that?" she asked softly.

"We don't know," Pei Da said sadly. "He is very secretive." She paused for a moment. "Here he is now," she said, and changed the picture.

Padmé clapped a hand to her mouth as the picture came up, her eyes wide and teary. Leia and Han looked at her in confusion. "What is it mother?" Leia asked gently.

Padmé smiled, her eyes roving over the face on the screen. Same eyes, same smile, no hair as of yet, but it would grow. It really was him.

"That man," Padmé said quietly, tears slipping down her face.

"It's Anakin."


	16. Chapter 16

Fifteen

Luke Skywalker stopped walking as soon as Leia, Han and Mother were out of sight. Lifting his hood and wrapping his cloak tightly around his body, Luke checked the strong shields he had put around Mother and Leia, and tightened his own. He wove a small Force illusion to change his features just enough to make him unrecognizable, and started toward the dining hall again. If he wanted to remain in control of the situation, he couldn't let Father know anything.

Finally arriving at the large, transparisteel doors to the cafeteria, Luke looked inside before entering. It wasn't hard to spot Father; he was the only human in the place, sitting alone at his table, nursing a steaming cup of caf. His appearance was astounding. If Luke hadn't known better, he never would have guessed that the tall, handsome blonde man in the corner had been Darth Vader for the better part of twenty years.

Summoning his courage, Luke bowed his head and stepped inside, moving directly to the buffet line. He wasn't particularly hungry, but Luke knew that he had to talk to Father _alone_ before Leia or Han got hold of him and dismembered him with his own lightsaber.

Half-way through the line, Luke felt Father's interest shift over to him, and instantly tightened his shields. A closer inspection of the probe showed only benign curiosity; Luke was, after all, the only other human in the canteen. Nearing the end of the line, Luke loaded his tray with one more piece of imported fruit, and turned around, making a big show of scanning the tables. Still making his movements large and conspicuous, Luke spotted Father sitting alone for the 'first time', and made his way over to the table.

"This seat taken?" Luke inquired as he neared the table, altering his accent to sound more Outer Rim than his had ever been. Father shook his head, and lowered his gaze back down to his caf.

"Wot a planet, huh?" Luke asked, not expecting an answer, just making small talk. "Rainin' all the time. Ya know, I come from a desah't wo'ld, and I nevah thought I'd be sayin' this, but aftah livin' he'ah fer a week—just a week, mind; jus' ten days—well, le's jus' say I'm sick of it!" Luke let his gaze drop down to his plate, and fiddled with a piece of fruit. "I hate the rain," he said despondently.

The line about coming from a desert world piqued Father's interest, just as Luke had known it would. "A desert world?" he asked, looking curiously at Luke. "Which one?"

Luke looked calmly up at Father, his heart hammering erratically in his chest. "Tatooine."

"_Tatooine!_" Father exclaimed eagerly, his eyes wild. "_I'm _from Tatooine, too!"

"Are ya now?" Luke asked, allowing surprise to creep into his accent. "What pah't?"

"Mos Espa," Father replied quickly, his excitement at having found another Tatooine native evident. "You?"

"Moisture fah'm," Luke said, smiling. "On the othah side o' Mos Eisley from Espa."

"On the other side of Mos Eisley…" Father trailed off, looking thoughtful. "Say, do you know the Larses?"

"The _Larses?_" Luke half yelled. "What're you crazy? _Evr'ybody _knew the Larses! They're dead, now, o' course, but ya had ta know'em, wot with that nephew o' thei's tearin' up the countryside in his T-16! Oh, wot was his name again…" Luke paused for a moment, hand to his head. "Biggs? No, that was his best friend. Fixah? No, that was the othah boy. Kal? Nope, it stah'ted wi' an 'L'. Lyle? No, no. That's not right. Luke? That's it. Luke—_something—_can't remember his las' name, but I know it wasn't Lars."

Something changed in Father's eyes. They became more soulful, regretful, almost sad. "Was it Skywalker?" he asked softly.

"_Yes!_ That's it! Skywalkah!" Luke studied Father.

"Did you know him well?" He asked, his eyes shining strangely.

"Yes," Luke said, breath bated, stripping the Outer Rim from his voice.

"How well?" Father asked, excited once again.

"Extremely." With that, Luke dropped the Force illusion and—still keeping Leia and Mother protected—tore down his shields.

Father's eyes got as wide as the suns of Tatooine. "_Luke?"_

Luke smiled.

"Hello, Father."


	17. Chapter 17

Sixteen

For the first time in a long time, Anakin Skywalker was shocked speechless. Inside his head, however, a violent debate raged wildly.

**Now's your chance! Turn him now, while you can!**

_No! He's your son! Do you want him to have the same fate as you?_

**He won't have the same fate! He won't be betrayed by the man he once called brother and the woman he loved more than life itself! He won't be betrayed like you.**

_It was Palpatine! Palpatine is the one who betrayed you! Obi-wan loved you, and Padmé loves you still! As does Luke!_

**Luke doesn't love you. You butchered him! Chopped off his hand! How could he possibly love you until you show him **_why_**? He will never love you until you show him the power of the Dark Side!**

_The Dark Side knows not Love! Only through the Light has Luke forgiven you! He loves you! Why else would he be here?_

**His compassion for you will be his undoing! You must show him the true power of the Dark Side of the Force!**

Anakin mustered all his mental strength. _**GET OUT OF MY MIND!**_

The voices fell silent, except for a whisper. _Love is the only way! _

"Luke?" Anakin gasped weakly, the name rolling off his lips in a gentle, almost reverent way. "How were you...?"

"Able to get up close and personal without you knowing?" Luke grinned at him lazily. "I learned from the best." Luke lifted his hood off his head and run a hand through his hair, sighing contentedly. Anakin was keenly aware of the fact that the hand wore a black glove, and licked his lips nervously.

"Luke!" he hissed, leaning close to his son, eyes worried. "What are you doing here? The _Lady Ex _is in orbit; it's not safe!"

Luke's calculating eyes stared deep into Anakin's. "I appreciate the concern, Father, but you have no need to worry. I've only been here for a week, like I said, but the others have been here for nearly a month already, and I don't think the _Executor_ is going to be able to distinguish us from any other Kaminoan city."

"Us?" Anakin asked, brow furrowing. Then it dawned on him. "There's a Rebel base on Kamino, isn't there?" Luke looked vaguely unsettled, and Anakin took that for a 'yes'. "Don't worry," he whispered, bending close. "I won't attack you. I'm not actually here looking for Rebels."

"I know, Father," Luke said, eyes roving over Anakin's face. He grinned. "It's slightly obvious."

Anakin laughed lightly. "It is, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically, playing with his hands. He stopped, noticing Luke's uncomfortable gaze. "You still haven't told me why you're here," he said, changing the subject.

Luke glanced up at him, eyes wary. "I'm here to warn you, actually," he said, voice low, his Force-signature tinged suddenly with worry. "I don't know if you've felt her, but I..." Luke trailed off. "I have a twin sister."

Anakin's mouth dropped open.

"_What!_" he yelled, causing a few Kaminoans to look over at him strangely. "What?" he asked again, softer this time. Luke grinned.

"That's pretty much how I reacted when I found out, as well. But it's true, we've confirmed it."

Anakin swallowed, blinking his eyes rapidly. "Does she know about me?" he asked nervously.

Luke looked uncomfortable. "Yes."

Anakin frowned at his son. "Do I know her?" he asked quietly.

"Rather well, I'm afraid," Luke said quietly.

_Oh, no... _Anakin thought, eyes growing wide. _A victim of Vader's? "_What's her name?"

Luke looked down. "Leia."

"Leia..." Anakin said, loving the way it rolled off his tongue. "Leia..." A thought struck him. "Not _Princess_ Leia. Not Leia of Alderaan."

Luke's eyes locked with his. "The same."

Anakin screwed up his eyes and let out a weak little moan. "What have I done?" he groaned, burying his face in his hands. "She must _hate_ me!"

"She's a lot better than she was even a week ago," Luke said gently, reaching out and tentatively touching Anakin's arm. Anakin jumped, startled by the intimate contact. Luke pretended not to notice, and continued. "She'll come around eventually. Alderaan Remembrance Day is right around the corner, and she is still in a lot of pain. You just need to give her some time, Father." Anakin nodded his understanding, and felt a wash of comfort from Luke.

"Sorry, Father, but there's one more thing." Anakin steeled himself, and nodded for Luke to continue. "Mother—"

"—Is alive, I know," Anakin said happily, eyes lighting up. _Luke and Padmé have been reunited!_ "Where is she?"

"Here," said a voice. Anakin whipped his head around. There she was, looking as radiant as ever.

"Angel," he whispered, rising to meet her. Padmé smiled, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Ani."


End file.
